Apparatus for treating plastic articles.



R. B. PRICE. APPARATUS FOR TREATING PLASTIC ARTICLES. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. I913.

1,295,596. Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

. I gh weutoz attomnq Ransom) 1;. lemon, on NEW YORK, n. Y., AssIeNon T RUBB EB REGENEBATIN G COMPANY A' CORPQRATION OF INDIANA.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING PLASTIC ARTICLES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RAYMOND B. Pmon, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, cityof New State of New Yor'.' have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Plastic Articles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates. to apparatus for treating plastic material, and has for its object in part to provide certain improvements in apparatus for vulcanizmg or treatmg a plurality of plastic articles, such -as boots and shoes, simultaneously and under certain conditions of temperature and pressure.

My invention" alsoembodies certain other improved features as will be hereinafter more definitely set forth and claimed, refer. ence being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a ehamberor vulcanizer embodying my improved construction.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of an improved form of boot'tree or form adapted for use in connection with my improved ap- V paratus.

Fig; 3 is a detail" sectional view of a modifield construction of rack and boot tree or form. v

Referring to-the chamber or vulcanizen construction disclosed, the reference numeral 1 denotes the body of the same, which may be square or cylindrical in 'cross area, and

which is permanently closed at one end, and

is provided at its other end with a door 2 hinged in any suitable manner. at one side and adapted, when closed, tovhermetically seal the chamber. Said-chamber in its. interior may be provided with longitudinally disposedtracks 3 in its bottom, adapted to receive a car 4, if desired, and is also p'ref erably provided at its bottom with steam pipes 5, which ma sides of the cham er as far as may be desired.

In said drawing I have illustrated a preferred form of car to be used in said chamber, which consists of a wheeled platform 6 on which is built up a rack of hollow piping Specification of Letters Patent.

York,

also be extended up the Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

Application filed febr'uary 3, 1913. Serial No. 745,971.

7 communicating internally throughout, and which rack is provided throughout with suitable article receiving projections 8. WhileI have shown said car 4 as 'mounted on wheels and removable from the chamber, I may, if desired, employ a rack constructed like said car, but permanently located in said chamber 1.

Disposed in the bottom of said chamber is a pumping or exhausting apparatus 9, which may be operated in any suitable manner, such as by an eleetriccurrent, by steam or otherwise, and which is connected to the car or rack in order to control the pressure withm the same, said connection being, when a fixed rack is employed, by means of a pipe 10 permanently connecting the two, and

when a removable rack is employed by means of a suitable detachable flexible pipe connection, or union.

In connection with said apparatus so disclosed I employ an improved construction of form for the article to be treated, the same being shown in Fig. 2 as a boot tree or form 11. This form is intended to be detachablyconnected with one of the receiving projections 8 in such manner that the interior of said projections shall communicate with a duct leading to the exterior surface of the form'near its lower end. Said form is also to be provided with internal heating means which may bean electric resistance coil or piping for the reception-of steam or hot air, or any other form of heat application. .Where an electric resistance vcoil is employed, which is the form shown in Fig.

. 2, I prefer to construct the same to be removable from the last or form, in order that lasts or forms. Furthermore, I may permanently connect to each receiving projection 8 one of the electric resistance coils, so that a boot tree or form may be mounted upon said frame by means of,'and so as to inclose,said coils or other electric resistance device, as shown in Fig. 3, there being provided centrally through said coil a duct which will communicate through the last or form with the exterior of the surface thereof near the lower end, as shown in Fig. 2.

I have shown but a single duct establishin'g communication between the exterior surface of the last orform and the interior ofthe piping of the rack, for the reason that in the manufacture of rubber boots as'at present constructed such construction. will accomplish a most thorough exhaustion of air in the'fabric of the boot, by reason of -the fact that the porous fabric lining exerts a wick-like action in accompllshmg the re- 'moval of the air. 'I' do not wish to be Y limited, however, 'to a single duct, as'any .number of the same may be employed in the ".foi'm as will be necessary to accomplish the desired exhaustion of air betweenthe form and the article built thereon.

v able rack is employed the forms may be applied thereto while said rack is outside of the chamber 1 and the said rack then wheeled 'into said chamber and connected with the exhausting apparatus. While I'have shown the exhausting"apparatus 9 located withinthe chamber 1, I do not wish to.limit myself to such construction, as said exhausting aparatus may be located outside of the cham- Ber 1 and communicate with the interior thereof by-means of a pipe tapped through said chamber.

Nor do I wishto be limited to the internal pressure control ofthe articles being treated through the piping of the rack 'or car, as such control maybe provided through a separate seriesofpipes extending between the forms or trees and exhai' sting or 'co'mpressing'apparatus or leading to atmosphere.

. It will be understood that I contemplate subjecting the articles to the setting heat provided by t-heelectric or other heaters within the forms alone or in conjunction with the heating ofsthe chamber by means of the steam pipes 5, or I may provide such heat by 'means of said steam pipes 5 alone. And I alsov contemplate,- wh n the articles to be treated are located in the chamber 1 to be treated, the employment of any desired con trollable pressure within said chamber, which will operate in conjunction with the differenflail-pressure exerted upon the interior of the articles to controllably set the same upon their forms.

While I have shown my improved lasts or forms with their internal heating means as dis sed within the chamber 1, it will be un erstood that I contemplate the treating means of the heat supplied by said internal heating means alone. thus disp nsing with stanceof facilitating the removal-ofthe' articles from their forms and for other purposes.

It being clearly understood that I contemplate the application of a vacuum either befof the iirticles upon thelt'orms or lasts by fore or during the application of heat"; it

will be further understood that a great advantage is derived, with respect to many articles, by the preliminary Withdrawal of any naphtha, oil, tar,'moisture or other gases or vapors at a relatively low temperature and before said fluids, gases or vapors have had opportunity to efiect any injury either to the shape or the'quality of the material being treated.

It will be understood that the use of my improved internally heated form is not lim ited to a chamber containing air or other gas, as the same may be used in a mold of sand, soapstone orthe like or of any suitable fluid or fusion, and that, too,'without the application of heat to themold itself or to themterial inthe mold, and with 01' pm sure.

I also contemplate that formsjilh the articles built thereon, and with or without the internal heat and pressure control, may be embedded in molds of sand, ne, fluidor fusion, which latter may he eated in any suitable n'iaii'ner, as by the application of external heat thereto, or by the disposal therein of electric resistance coils or heating pipes, and with or without pressure.'

1 also contemplate'the use of my improved vulcanizing chamber with any character of last or form, whether heated internally or not. f

Having this described my ihvention, what I claim as n w and desire to secure by Letters Patent i Y 1. The c'oinbihation with a chamber anda form receiving rack therein, of a plurality of electric heating coils ounted upon said rack and adapted to be dis osed within theforms when the latter are positioned upon the rack.

2. The combination with a chamber and a form recelvlng rack 'therein ot a plurality of electric heating coils mounted upon said rack and adapted to be disposed within the forms when the latter are positioned upon said rack, and means for establishing ,connnunication between the "space between the forms and the articles built thereon'and the external atmos- 3. The combination with a chamber anda form receiving rack therein, of a plurality of electric heating coils mounted upon said rack I30,

Q and adanted to be disposed within the forms In testimony whereof I have hereunto set I when the latter are positioned upon said rack,' my hand in the presence of two subscribing and means for establishing communlcatlon witnesses.

' between the space between the forms and the RAYMOND B. PRICE.

5 articles built thereon and theexternal atlnos- Witnesses:

phere, said means passing through said elec- A. M. Dxscu,

t 'lc heating coils. A. M. Monumesmn. 

